A WARM WELCOME in our Lord Jesus Christ. We pray that God our heavenly Father will richly bless you as we worship together and receive from God's Word the riches of Christ's death and resurrection for us, including in the midst of many threats to us in body and in soul in this world. Please sign the Guest Register in the church entry, and feel free to speak to an usher or the pastor about any concern or request you may have.

THE SACARAMENT OF HOLY COMMUNION is celebrated this morning. Mindful of Scriptural teaching concerning the real presences of Christ's body and blood in the Sacrament, we practice supervised or “close” communion. To receive the Sacrament at a church's altar is to publicly acknowledge the confession of that church as one's own. Therefore, communicant members of this congregation or another of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod are encouraged to partake. Guests are asked to speak with our pastor, before the service, if they wish to commune.

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Divine Service, Setting Three

(Hymnbook numbers are provided on the right hand side for those who desire to see the music)

Cc- indicates a sung response by the congregation

Silent Prayer

Prayers can be found on the inside front cover of the hymnal and on page 305 and following. You may also wish to meditate on Christian Questions with their Answers on pages 329 & 330.

Prelude

When the prelude begins to play it is time to take our places, focus on the Lord's presence, and prepare our hearts and minds for worship. 1

Welcome

Confession and Absolution

Opening Hymn “Hail, O Source of Every Blessing” LSB 409

Stand

Invocation

The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.

P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.

C Amen.

P Beloved in the Lord! Let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins unto God our Father, beseeching Him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant us forgiveness.

P Our help is in the name of the Lord,

C who made heaven and earth.

P I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord,

C and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.

Confession and Absolution (Left Column)

P O almighty God, merciful Father,

C I, a poor, miserable sinner, confess unto You all my sins and iniquities with which I have ever offended You and justly deserved Your temporal and eternal punishment. But I am heartily sorry for them and sincerely repent of them, and I pray You of Your boundless mercy and for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be gracious and merciful to me, a poor, sinful being.

P Upon this your confession, I, by virtue of my office, as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God unto all of you, and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.

C Amen.

Service of the Word

Psalm Psalm 119:97–104

Kyrie LSB 186

CcLord, have mercy upon us.

Christ, have mercy upon us.

Lord, have mercy upon us. 2

Gloria in Excelsis LSB 187

P Glory be to God on High,

Ccand on earth peace, goodwill toward men.

We praise Thee, we bless Thee, we worship Thee.

we glorify Thee, we give thanks to Thee, for Thy great glory.

O Lord God, heav'nly King, God the Father Almighty.

O Lord, the only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ;

O Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father,

that takest away the sin of the world, have mercy upon us.

Thou that takest away the sin of the world, receive our prayer.

Thou that sittest at the right hand of God the Father, have mercy upon us.

For Thou only art holy; Thou only art the Lord.

Thou only, O Christ, with the Holy Ghost,

art most high in the glory of God the Father. Amen.

Salutation and Collect of the Day

P The Lord be with you.

CcAnd with thy spirit.

P Let us pray.

Almighty God, You have poured into our hearts the true Light of Your incarnate Word. Grant that this Light may shine forth in our lives; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

CcAmen.

Sit

Old Testament Reading 1 Kings 3:4–15

Printed on the back of the bulletin

A This is the Word of the Lord.

C Thanks be to God.

Gradual Is. 9:6; Ps. 98:1a

P To us a child is born, to us a son is given;

and the government shall be upon his shoulder.

And his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,

Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Sing to the Lord a new song,

for he has done marvelous things! 3

Epistle Ephesians 1:3–14

Printed on the back of the bulletin

A This is the Word of the Lord.

C Thanks be to God.

Stand

Alleluia

CcAlleluia. Alleluia. Alleluia.

Holy Gospel Luke 2:40–52

P The Holy Gospel according to St. Luke, the second chapter.

CcGlory be to Thee, O Lord.

Printed on the back of the bulletin

P This is the Gospel of the Lord.

CcPraise be to Thee, O Christ.

Confession of Fatih “Nicene Creed”

Printed on the inside back cover of the hymnal

Sit

Hymn of the Day “Within the Father's House” LSB 410

Sermon “Keeping the Law for Us” Luke 2:40-52

Jesus' Upbringing (Proverbs 22:6)

Jesus' Confession (Luke 22:70)

Stand

Offertory LSB 192

CcCreate in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.

Cast me not away from Thy presence, and take not Thy Holy Spirit from me.

We give Thee but Thine own, May we Thy bounties thus
Whate’er the gift may be; As stewards true recieve
All that we have is Thine alone, And gladly, as Thou blesset us,
A trust, O Lord, from Thee. To Thee our firstfruits give! 4

Sharing of the Peace

The people may greet one another in the name of the Lord, saying, “Peace be with you,” as a sign of reconciliation and of the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace (Matt. 5:22–24; Eph. 4:1–3).

Stand

Prayer of the Church

P Let us pray to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places and who promises to hear our prayers.

Heavenly Father, You have called us to be caretakers for all people, but in our weakness we fall far short of fulfilling Your calling. Like Solomon, we beg You to grant Your servants understanding minds and the ability to discern between good and evil as we carry out the vocations You have given us. Teach us to love Your Law and meditate on it all the day, confident that Your commandment makes us wise. Lord, in Your mercy,

C hear our prayer.

P Heavenly Father, let not our will but Your will be done among us. So teach us to ask You not for what gives us comfort or pleasure but for what we truly need for our physical and spiritual lives as Your children. As we receive Your daily bread, [including Your gifts of _______________,] fill us with gratitude that, like King Solomon, joyfully brings You offerings of thanksgiving. Lord, in Your mercy,

C hear our prayer.

P Heavenly Father, You chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before You. But we do not live as the sanctified people You call us to be. Hear our pleas for forgiveness. Assure us that in Christ we have redemption through His blood. Lavish on us Your grace, make known to us Your will and strengthen us to live as people who have been predestined for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ. Lord, in Your mercy,

C hear our prayer.

P Heavenly Father, You placed Your own Son into an earthly family and allowed Joseph and Mary the privilege of raising Him as He grew and became strong. Comfort those who desire children but have not received that gift. Grant them Your peace. Fill those who have been given children with joy. Guide us to be faithful parents who provide for our children, care for their needs and teach them to know Christ. Lord, in Your mercy,

C hear our prayer.

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P Heavenly Father, care for our children. Enable them, like little Jesus, to increase in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and man. Fill our children and all of us with a fervor to be in Your house, listening and asking questions. Defend all lost and exploited children. Protect them from harm and provide them with loving caretakers. Lord, in Your mercy,

C hear our prayer.

P Lord of life, our times is in Your hands. Continue to look with favor upon Kenneth Daily who celebrates a birthday during this week. Grant that he may continue to grow in wisdom and grace. Strengthen his trust in Your goodness and bless him with Your abiding love all the days of his life. Lord, In Your mercy,

C hear our prayer.

P Heavenly Father, like King Solomon, the rulers of our nation need Your help, Your wisdom and Your guidance. Give them understanding minds. Enable them to do what is just and right. Embolden them to defend life, to punish wrongdoing and to encourage all that is good. Protect our leaders from harm, and grant them fulfillment in their work. Lord, in Your mercy,

C hear our prayer.

P Heavenly Father, watch over those who work to protect our lives and defend our liberties. Grant courage and skill to first responders and to those in our military, and care for their children and families, especially when they are deployed or in danger. Lord, in Your mercy,

C hear our prayer.

P Heavenly Father, grant Your care, comfort and healing to all who mourn [including _______________] and to those who are sick or suffering [including _______________ and those we name in our hearts]. Fill each of them with a confident trust in Your mercy, and teach us all to look expectantly to the day when You will grant us permanent healing. Lord, in Your mercy,

C hear our prayer.

P Heavenly Father, because we, by Your grace, have heard the Word of truth, the Gospel of our salvation, and believed in Christ, we commend to You ourselves, our loved ones and all for whom we pray, through the same Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

C Amen. 6

Service of the Sacrament

Preface LSB 194

P The Lord be with you.

CcAnd with thy spirit.

P Lift up your hearts.

CcWe lift them up unto the Lord.

P Let us give thanks unto the Lord our God.

CcIt is meet and right so to do.

P It is truly meet, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, holy Lord, almighty Father, everlasting God, through Jesus Christ, our Lord; for in the mystery of the Word made flesh You have given us a new revelation of Your glory that, seeing You in the person of Your Son, we may know and love those things which are not seen. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and singing:

Sanctus LSB 195

CcHoly, holy, holy Lord God of Sabaoth;

heav'n and earth are full of Thy glory.

Hosanna, hosanna, hosanna in the highest.

Blessed is He, blessed is He, blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord.

Hosanna, hosanna, hosanna in the highest.

Lord's Prayer LSB 196

Printed on the inside back cover of the hymnal

The Words of Our Lord LSB 197

P Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night when He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to the disciples and said: “Take, eat; this is My T body, which is given for you. This do in remembrance of Me.”

In the same way also He took the cup after supper, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them, saying: “Drink of it, all of you; this cup is the new testament in My T blood, which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”

Pax Domini LSB 197

P The peace of the Lord be with you always.

CcAmen. 7

Agnus Dei LSB 198

CcO Christ, Thou Lamb of God, that takest away the sin of the world, have mercy upon us.

O Christ, Thou Lamb of God, that takest away the sin of the world, have mercy upon us.

O Christ, Thou Lamb of God, that takest away the sin of the world, grant us Thy peace. Amen.

Sit

Distribution

The communicate is welcome to kneel or remain standing after being received at the altar.

Stand

Nunc Dimittis LSB 199

CcLord, now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace according to Thy word,

for mine eyes have seen Thy salvation, which Thou hast prepared before the face of all people,

a light to lighten the Gentiles and the glory of Thy people Israel.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost,

as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Thanksgiving LSB 200

A O give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good,

Ccand His mercy endureth forever.

A Let us pray.

We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

Going in the hospital, in the hospital, having surgery? Please let pastor know so he can properly minister to you. At the least pray for you. He is here for you. 9

Prayer Request forms are on the table in the Narthex at the back of the church. Feel free to use these forms to communicate prayer requests with pastor. If you ask for them to be kept confidential rest assured they will be. Prayer requests can also be submitted via the church's website.

Birthday Blessings in Christ to Kenneth Daily on Wednesday, January 6th .

A glad and Happy Birthday We wish to you, our friends.

And may our heavenly Father a birthday blessing send!

A happy,happy birthday All beautiful with love,

And bright with many blessings From our dear Lord above.

Portals of Prayer devotions for January-March 2016are now available on the table in the narthex (back of church). Pick up yours today!

Ladies Society Progressive Dinner which was postponed in December has been rescheduled to this coming Saturday, January 9th. Meet at Halamka's around 5:45 p.m. to carpool to the Dowlings for the first course.

The Ladies Society meets this Thursday, January 7th, at 1:00 p.m. All the ladies of Faith are invited for a time of Bible study, meeting, and fellowship.

Next Sunday, January 10th is time again for our Second Sunday potluck. After eating we will be taking down the Chritmas decorations.. Be sure to join us.

Last chance to take your Pointsettias! Any not taken today will be taken care of by pastor this week.

Wednesday Evening Bible Class starts again this Wednesday, January 6th. We are studying “How the Bible Came to Us” examining particuarly the so-called “lost books.” Plan to join us.

Sunday Morning Bible Classmeets Sunday mornings at 9:15 a.m in the fellowship hall. We are studying the book of Romans and learning that we are saved by grace through faith alone. It is not too late to join us and gain assurance regarding your salvation.

LWML Mite Sundayis Today. Place your mites for missions in the big mite box in the back of the church. All money goes to LWML mission projects.

Life Quote for Sunday,January 3:“God needs and wants you in His kingdom-building work. God thinks you are a valuable part of His team. God thinks that you have an important role to play. God thinks you are worth investing in. God actually stoops down to make you great. Seriously.” Pastor Marke Jeske,www.timeofgrace.org

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Life Thought in the Church Year for January 3 – Second Sunday after Christmas:Solomon asked for the wisdom to “discern between good and evil” (1 Kings 3:9). In the name of Jesus, who grew in wisdom and accomplished His Father’s will, may His people today have the wisdom to discern between good and evil when it comes to the sanctity of life. Prayer: Wisdom from On High, in a culture where good and evil are blurred, help Your people be discerning of the truth and then share it boldly. Amen.

Happy New Years! Another year of God’s grace has passed. Through Jesus all is forgiven. We can put 2015 in the past and worry about it no more.

A new year of God’s grace is upon us. Jesus’ presence and forgiveness will continue to be with us through it all. 2016 will serve up to be a very special year for us here at Faith as in October we will celebrate 50 years of a Lutheran presence in Graham, Texas. How God has blessed us!

This is quite a milestone indeed. God has seen us through a lot. He has blessed us mightily. We have a marvelous church facility, a fantastic congregation of people and most important of all an awesome Savior!

Yes, as always, it is all about Jesus. God’s love for us has been shown mightily in His Son Jesus Christ (1 John 4). Jesus lived the perfect life demanded of us we are unable to live. Jesus suffered and died on the cross paying the price for our sin. And Jesus rose from the dead guaranteeing our forgiveness, life, and salvation.

This wonderful message of God’s love in Jesus Christ has been preached in Graham at Faith Lutheran Church for fifty years and it is still going strong. With God’s richest blessings we will continue in faithfulness to our God for another fifty plus years.

Mark October 23, 2016 on your calendar. It will be a day of celebrating and praise the Lord for all He has done for us. And be ready to volunteer for the many tasks that will be presented as we prepare to celebrate this milestone. To God be the glory! Great things He has done! It is all about Jesus!

May God’s grace and mercy through Jesus Christ continue to be yours through the New Year.